This invention relates generally to computer media and compact disk audio media, and more particularly to holders and storage systems for computer disks of various sizes and to holders and storage systems for audio compact disks.
Computer programs, particularly for personal computers, are sold on computer disks of various formats or sizes. Three typical disk formats are commonly known as 51/4", 31/2", and CD-rom. It should be appreciated that these formats differ not only in shape (the CD-rom disks are round, the 51/4" disks are square, and the 31/2" disks are rectangular) but also in size. This difference in shape and size creates difficulties for the retailer and the end user. The retailer must provide display space for (at least) three different sizes and shapes of disks, and the end user must find suitable storage space for the various types of disks usable with his or her computer.
The retailer's difficulties are solved, to an extent, by the fact that the manufacturer's of computer programs typically package the program disks in boxes or overwrap packages, so that the programs can be uniformly displayed. This packaging, however, does little to solve the end users' problems of storing the program disks, since the overwrap material is generally not reusable and the boxes are too bulky to be used for long-term storage of the programs. Of course, similar problems arise in the case of audio compact disks.
The end users' requirements have been addressed by the provision of separate disk holding boxes, generally made of hard plastic. These boxes are sized to accommodate a large number of disks (for example, twelve to fifty or so), but they could be improved. For example, the disk holding boxes are generally designed for a single format or size of disk, so that it is not always possible to store disks of different sizes in the same box. Even if a large size box is used, sufficient in size to hold disks of all three formats, the smaller disks are at risk of being overlooked when stored in among the larger disks.
The available disk holding boxes could also be improved in other ways. For example, these boxes typically have a hinged lid which swings upwardly from the back of the box to allow access to the disks contained in the box. This requires a significant amount of room, which is not always readily available. Moreover, if more than one box is being used, the boxes are often stacked on top of each other to reduce deskspace requirements. As a result, it is impossible with these presently available systems to open a lower box to retrieve a disk without removing the boxes stacked above it.